


Death's Sweet Embrace

by Rita_of_Roses



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: M/M, Pitch Pearl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 21:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1662308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rita_of_Roses/pseuds/Rita_of_Roses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the flash game "Loved"</p>
<p>http://www.alexanderocias.com/loved.php</p>
            </blockquote>





	Death's Sweet Embrace

**Author's Note:**

> This is a bit of an AU setting. Phantom was produced in the accident but as a separate entity. In accordance with that Danny hasn't really changed as a person (still kinda a wimp, still terrified of ghosts)
> 
> If you haven't played Loved I'd suggest you do but it's not essential. (You should still play it because it's a great game.)

Danny lingered in the bathroom, pulling his hands through his hair and trying to find any reason to put off going to sleep. He was tired. His body ached, yes, but it was more than that. It was a deep, aching weariness that lingered deep in his soul no matter how much sleep he got, which recently wasn't much anyways. It had been a few months since he stepped into the portal. Every doctor his parents took him to claimed he was miraculously fine but no one was convinced. His family and friends treated him as if he were made of glass. To the other kids at school he was a pariah. Some would run at the sight of him. Others glared as he passed, though they too kept their distance. Rumors circulated quickly. His parents performed horrific experiments on him, turned him into a zombie. He made a deal with the devil in exchange for his life. He was a demon himself, sent to bring about their end. By now he was used to the bullying, the rumors that come with having parents the whole town has deemed crazy, but still the terrified stares and vicious stories wormed their way into his head.

And then, there was the ghost. It had been haunting him since the accident. Danny still wasn't sure what happened that day. The doctors couldn't find any damage from the electricity and once he woke up there seemed to be nothing wrong with him. But ever since that day things had started happening. Strange things. Creepy things. Sometimes he'd see a second shadow following him but when he turned around there was nothing there. The temperature around him would suddenly drop and no one else could feel it. He saw things out of the corner of his eye, things that weren't human, but when he looked they vanished. Sometimes when he lay in bed trying to sleep he swore he heard a sinister laugh echoing around him. He was sure he was going insane and eventually asked Jazz about it. She said it was probably just his body trying to deal with the trauma, but he wasn't convinced. He stared at himself in the mirror. His eyes were dull, outlined with dark purple bruises and his face was unnaturally pale. He hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. Every day he looked less human, more dead. He wondered if he really was dying, if the effects of the portal were slowly sucking the life out of him. He sighed and reluctantly walked back to his room. Pale light from the full moon fell through the window. He closed the door and looked to his bedside table. On it a small pile of clothes hid one of his parent's ectoguns. It wasn't much but it was all he could do. He felt vulnerable even walking around the house without it, despite his parents being ghost hunters. Slowly he crawled under his covers, clinging tight to them as if they would protect him, and closed his eyes. He waited for the creaking floorboards, the scratching on his window, the shadows dancing on his walls, or whatever would happen tonight but nothing came and eventually he sipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

“ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy._ _”_ Danny's eyes flew open at the hollow whisper at his ear. He frantically scanned the room. He was alone, or at least, it looked that way. Trembling he reached one hand over to his bedside table and-

Danny's blood ran cold. He whipped his head around to where the ectogun had been. The table was completely bare. He stumbled from his bed and searched the floor but neither the gun nor its cover were anywhere to be found.

“ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy._ _”_ He froze. The voice definitely came from behind him. He spun and stared at his door. Faint green light pulsed along the floor.

“ _Come and play D_ _annyyyyyyyyyyyyy_ _yyyy_ _yyyy_ _._ _”_ The light faded with the voice. Danny ran to his door and paused, his hand on the doorknob. What on earth was he doing? Danny Fenton is _terrified_ of ghosts and now he was chasing after one. He breifly wondered if the voices really had driven him insane. No. He couldn't take this anymore. Crazy or not, he would put a stop to this, or at least get some answers. He cracked his door and peered out. The hall was dark and empty. A faint green flickering emanated from the bottom of the stairs. He took a deep breath and flung the door open. The light suddenly disappeared.

“Hey!” He flew down the stairs and stopped dead. The first floor was utterly dark and silent but he didn't need to look to know the ghost had left the house. The front door stood wide open. A fierce, howling wind swept in, scattering papers and animating curtains. Danny cautiously approached the door and scanned the empty streets. The light was gone. Clouds masked the moon and plunged the scene deeper into darkness. He stood a few more moments watching the silent street and sighed. He'd have to talk to Jazz again in the morning and hopefully she'd take him seriously this time. He turned and shuffled back into the house.

“ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”_ He almost screamed. The voice sounded from right behind him. He whipped around and searched the street again. Slowly the clouds floated on and the moonlight swept over his surroundings. Danny felt like his body was freezing over. As the moonlight advanced it slowly revealed a dark humanoid shadow cast on the building across from him. The figure shook as low, insidious laughter echoed down the street. Danny stood transfixed by the figure and his eyes grew wide as slowly a wide sinister grin full of sharp teeth appeared on the figure's face.

“ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”_ He staggered back, gripping the door to keep his balance.

“H-hello?”

“ _Hello Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”_ Fear coursed through his veins. His mouth went dry.

“W-who are you? W-why are you haunting me?” Once again the eerie laughter echoed around him.

“ _Play a game with me Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”_

“No! J-just answer me.” He glanced over his shoulder into the dark house, holding on to the hope that his parents would hear the disturbance and come to his aid.

“ _Play with me, and you will learn everything.”_

“I-I don't care. I j-just want you t-to leave me alone.”

“ _Play with me. If you win, you will never see me again.”_ His heart skipped a beat. Here was his chance to escape this hell he was living in. Then again...

“You expect me to t-trust you?”

“ _Yes_ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy._ _You can always trust me.”_

“W-what happens if I lose?” A darker menacing chuckle echoed down the street.

“ _All in good time Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”_ He clenched his fists, anger and frustration fighting to exert its dominance over paralyzing fear.

“Do I really have a choice?”

“ _Of course_ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy._ _You always have a choice.”_

“And I assume if I say no y-you'll keep messing with me?” The laughter seemed to sound inside his own head now. He glared up st the shadowy figure.

“Fine. I'll play your game.” The figure smiled wider and disappeared to move through the darkness, darting among the shadows, a darker blur of black on black.

“ _Yes Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.”_ Danny whipped his head around trying in vain to track the creature. _“Shall I teach you how to play?”_ He blinked at the strange question.

“What? Y-yes, of course.” The soft laughter rushed past him in a sudden gust of wind. He jumped as cold hands clamped down on his shoulders and cringed at the icy presence by his head.

“ _You do not deserve it.”_

The freezing shadow flitted past him and down the street.

“ _Come_ _Dannyyyy_ _yyyyyyy_ _yyyyy_ _yyyyy_ _.”_ He stared at the faint outline floating away. The rational part of his brain screamed at him to turn back, to run to the lab and wait surrounded by weapons for his parents to wake up, or at least arm himself before running after the ghost on what was probably a suicide mission. But he had to know. He couldn't keep living like this. And, he hated to admit it, it was almost as if something deep inside him was drawn to the ghost. He hesitated, glancinginto the kitchen and the door he couldn't leading to the lab. He stood on the threshold of relative safety and almost certain disaster. Danny looked back to the street where he could no longer see the phantom. He acted without thinking, grabbed the spare key off the table and slammed the door against the warm comfort of home.

He sprinted down the street to the corner and stopped, looking around for any sign of the ghost.

“Um...h-hello? Ghost?”

“ _Do try to keep up, Danny dear.”_ The dark silhouette flickered at the edge of his vision and he hurried after it down the empty streets.

“Now w-will you answer my questions?”

“ _Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Make me an offer.”_ He paused and wracked his brain for anything his parents had told him about bargaining with ghosts and came up blank. They were more the “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of ghost hunters.

“I-I...uh...I don't know. W-what do ghosts want?”

“ _Hm...a question for a question. Do we have a deal, Danny dear?”_

“Fine. W-why are you haunting me?”

“ _Why? Because I want you, Danny dear.”_

“Wait, what-” He choked as cold hands closed around his neck.

“ _We made a deal, Danny dear. Do you intend to honor it?”_ He nodded faintly, pure terror coursing through his veins.

“ _Then it is my turn.”_ He gasped for breath as the ghost's icy grip loosened and fell away. _“Do you fear me, Danny dear?”_

“I...y-yes. O-of course I do.” A contented humming filled the air around him

“ _Good. You should fear me.”_ The specter’s carefree tone sent cold shivers down his spine. He was beginning to seriously regret following this madman...ghost...thing.

“ _Jump.”_

“What?” Danny looked around, realizing he hadn't been paying attention to where the ghost was taking him. They stood, well, he stood at the center of one of the bridges spanning the river.

“ _Jump.”_ Danny paled as the ghost's meaning set in.

“You can't be serious! I'll die!”

“ _You will not. Now Jump.”_

“No. That's crazy.” A deep sigh seemed to come from all around him.

“ _How disappointing. Fine. Come, Danny dear.”_ He gawked at the shadowy figure slowly drifting back towards the town. Did it really think he was going to stay? He froze at the thought. Could he really run? For the first time that night he felt the frigid night wind cut through his pajamas. He shivered, both from the cold and from remembering all the times he had hugged himself against winds like this that no one else could feel. Could he really keep it up? He knew he was approaching his wits end. It wouldn't be long until he couldn't take it anymore and then...he wasn't sure what he would do. This ghost wouldn't just stop and it was highly unlikely he'd get another chance like this if he ran. He sighed and closed his eyes, pulling his arms in tighter. _So this is what it comes down to. How do you want to die? Follow the orders of a psychopath or.....wait until I do it myself._ He looked up, his mouth set in a hard like, and hurried to follow the phantom. If he was going to die anyways he wasn't going to sit around waiting for it.

“Hey,” he called after the ghost. It stopped and turned to look at him. “It's my turn.” A cruel smile spread over its face, though it's more accurate to say a crescent shaped hole appeared where its mouth would be.

“ _So it is, Danny dear.”_ It turned and continued on, not appearing to care if he followed.

“I-if I win I'll never see you again. So what happens if you win? I-I want a straight answer this time.”

“ _If I win, you are mine forever.”_ He stopped, reeling as if he had been slapped.

“That's not the kind of thing you can just not mention at the beginning!”

“ _It is. You accepted without knowing. I am not at fault. And even if I was, why should I care?”_

“T-that's not fair.”

“ _What you think is fair does not interest me. I am the puppet master of this game. You control nothing. Speaking of which, Danny dear. Don't fall.”_

“What?” He shrieked as the ground rushed away from him, cold arms holding him tight. He wobbled as his feet met something solid and took in his next bout of insanity. The ghost's cold presence faded and Danny threw out his arms to keep from falling. He stood on top of a construction site, a new apartment complex with only the skeleton in place. More specifically he stood on a narrow beam far above the ground.

“ _Come to me, Danny dear.”_ He looked to the source of the command, the ghost floating at the other end of the beam.

“I-” He looked down at the slim beam he stood on and the dizzying drop below. “I-I can't!”

“ _You can, Danny dear. Trust me.”_ He swallowed hard and slowly pulled his back foot around, carefully placing it in front of the other. He took a deep breath and repeated the process. His heart pounded in his ears.

“ _My turn, Danny dear.”_ His head jerked up to where the ghost floated. _“_ _Tell me,_ _d_ _o I own your body or your mind?”_

“W-what? N-neither, you don't own me.”

“ _Body or mind_ _Dannyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?”_ The question sounded more like a threat. Something in the ghost's tone told him it was a very bad idea to refuse.

“M-mind.”

“ _Very well.”_ Green energy shot from its hand to form a large, menacing blade. It swung the blade high into the air, poised to strike the beam he stood on. “ _Beg for me.”_

“...a-are you serious?” It said nothing, only raising the sword higher. “W-wait. P-please don't. I-I don't want to die.” He took another hesitant step forward, breathing a deep sigh of relief as he stabilized again.

“Um...I-I...I'm sorry, a-about earlier. I'll listen to you, I-I swear. Just, please, d-don't do this.” Another step. The beam wobbled beneath him but it held. His confidence grew and he moved quickly into another step, now about half way across.

“I...I-I...” He searched for more to say to ensure his safety until he reached the end but his mind came up blank. Panic crept up around him. He tried to take another step but he was too unsteady. He felt himself slip. Ice rushed through his veins as the world tilted and-...he stopped. His shoulder lay against something hard and cold. Bright flickering green leaked into his vision. He slowly turned his head to stare at the shadowy figure, one arm thrust out in line with the sword, keeping him from plummeting to his death. He lay gasping for breath for several seconds while his mind caught up to his body.

“T-thank you.” He used the side of the sword to regain his balance and continued the journey slowly, one step at a time. The ghost dropped the blade and it evaporated into the atmosphere. Once again it was waiting for him at the end of the beam. Danny took the last careful step and lurched forward into the phantom's cold arms.

“ _Good boy.”_ Danny held on with a death grip until he felt solid ground beneath his feet.

“What kind of sick game is this?!” The hollow laughter rang around him.

“ _It is a game for my own enjoyment. You look so delicious when you're frightened, Dannyyyyyyyyyyy.”_

“Y-you're insane.”

“ _Perhaps.”_ It grabbed his wrist in a cold hand and guided him down the street. He tried to pull away but the shadowy grip was as strong as steel.

“You c-can't just shrug that off like it's nothing. You're trying t-to kill me!”

“ _No, Danny dear. You will never die. I will make sure of it.”_ The strange choice of words twisted his stomach in knots.

“S-stop saying things like that. J-just leave me alone, please.”

“ _Why would I do that, Danny dear? I love you.”_ His mouth fell open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“You...W-what?! N-no. That's so creepy a-and just messed up. You d-don't tell someone you love to jump off a bridge a-and besides that's so disturbing-

“ _Danny dear.”_

“What?”

“ _Don't move.”_ Once again he had failed to notice his surroundings. He stood in the middle of a crosswalk near his school. His head spun, failing to understand the command.

“I-I...what?” Bright lights raked over his body. His heart stopped at the sight of the large 18-wheeler hurtling towards him. He screamed to himself to move but his body wouldn't obey, frozen in shock and terror, he could only watch death's swift approach. He closed his eyes and braced himself for his painful final moment. Deafening screaming rushed up around him in a flurry of wind and sound before his senses cut out and plunged him into dark silence.

* * *

“ _See, Danny dear? You can trust me.”_ His eyes shot open, taking in the specter floating before him and his own body still standing frozen in the road. He dropped to his hands and knees, breathing heavy. He felt like he was going to pass out.

“ _Soon we will meet face to face, Danny dear. Are you excited or frightened?”_

“What do you think?” He shouted at the specter. Only through sheer willpower did he keep from breaking down in tears. He would not let this demon see him more vulnerable than he already was.

“ _Are you excited or frightened, Danny dear?”_

“S-stop saying things like that! I'm frightened, okay?” The cold presence curled around him.

“ _Then it will only be more enjoyable.”_

“No. I'm done with this. I-I'm going home.”

“ _But Danny dear, why would I let you do that?”_ His blood ran cold and his eyes widened at the thinly veiled threat, the ghost's airy voice only making it more chilling.

“ _Besides,”_ The ghost grabbed him and sped over the ground, landing on the front steps of Casper High. _“We have already reached your final test.”_

“W-what are you talking about?”

“ _Do not fail.”_

“D-don't fail what?” Haunting laughter echoed around him and the spirit floated before him, face to face. It raised one dark, chilled hand to cup his cheek and pressed icy lips to his own. Danny stiffened in shock and fear.

“ _Meet me on the roof, my love.”_ Its eyes flared green like unholy fire. Danny staggered back and watched in horror as bright bolts of green electricity burst from its body and danced along the ground, spreading out around the school before disappearing into the ground. In the next moment the specter vanished and he was left alone in the eerie stillness. His every instinct screamed for him to run as far as he could but his mind pushed back with reason. He wasn't free. No way. He watched his surroundings intently, determined not to be caught off guard by whatever ordeal was coming at him this time. The ground quivered beneath his feet. The soil cracked all around him, releasing hundreds of wickedly twisted figures made of electric green sparks. He jumped as the doors behind him slammed open. He turned his gaze to the dark hallway, then back to the swarm of monsters now racing towards him. His body moved before his mind had fully processed the situation. He was running, sprinting as fast as he could through the dim halls. Above him sparks flew from the dead lights. He didn't dare look behind him but the crackling of static painted a terrifying picture. He leaped up the stairs and through the door that led to the roof. The chattering behind him grew louder and more frantic. His heart beat like lightning as he hurtled up the last few steps and burst through the door. He frantically glanced around for the phantom and his heart dropped. He was utterly alone. He was going to die. Green light erupted behind him casting eerie shadows. He turned to face the demons and backed slowly away. His breathing hitched as his foot hit the low wall at the edge of the roof. He had nowhere left to run. He glanced over the edge. The drop made his head spin. _Jump._ The word echoed in his head. He shook his head. That's crazy. Though the whole night had been crazy. Would his ghost catch him if he did? He glanced between the ground and the advancing hoard of demons. He would die either way. He stepped back with one foot onto the ledge, and hesitated. Surely there had to be a way out of this. One of the creatures jumped towards him. He flinched and his balance fell away. His world shifted into slow motion as he fell. For a moment he floated in cold silence, peace washing over him as he accepted his death. He fell back into reality as frigid arms wrapped around him and held him tight in midair. He twisted in the cold embrace and gaped, terrified screams caught in his throat. The ghost, no longer cloaked in shadows, looked just like him the day he went into the portal. Well, not exactly like him. The colors were inverted, a black hazmat suit with white accents, torn in jagged lines trailing back to his left hand where the suit was completely burned away. A spiderweb of angry green scars snaked up it was marred with more of the green scars trailing up from his neck. His hair was snow white and his eyes burned green, his crazed grin turning them deeply sinister.

“ _Ģ͠ǫ͟͢od̕͡ ́b̵̀́o̡͘y,͘ ̷̧D͘ann͝ỳ̶̡ ̨de͜͝a̵r̸̢̨_ _._ _”_ The ghost flew away high above the roof and the hungry green monsters. Danny took a deep, shaky breath.

“T-thank-” As he turned back to look at his savior his relief drained away. Now the wicked eyes were turned on him, boring holes through his head. His breathing cut off as if his lungs had been removed. For a moment they hung there in the cold and the silence, dark malevolence mixing with pure terror. The ghost lowered his head, lips brushing against Danny's ear.

“ _Ì̧ ͏ẃ̢͟i̢͘͝n̶_ _.”_ Danny was screaming. He was falling, hurtling towards the ground far too fast from far too high. The ghost was gone. Everything was gone except the shrieking wind flying up around him and the ground rushing up to meet him. He had no time for last words, not even last thoughts. All at once the wind and the vertigo stopped and his world went black.

* * *

Danny shot upright in his bed, panting and drenched in sweat. He cast wildly around the room, searching for the shadowy figure but he was nowhere to be seen. No creepy sounds. No chilling winds. He took a deep breath and dropped back to his bed. _It was just a dream._ He slowly began to relax though it didn't help his left over terror. _It's okay Danny. It was only a dream. You're safe. You're gonna be okay._ The words did little to convince him and he reached to his bedside table for the ectogun, his security blanket of sorts for the past few months. His body was drained of energy and his hand flopped lazily around in search of the object. In his frazzled state it took him a few seconds to realize. The pile of clothes hiding the weapon was gone. He shot up again, terror taking hold as flashbacks to his dream blared in his mind. He whipped his legs to the side, adrenaline fueling his actions, and stopped as one foot met soft fabric. He looked down to find the familiar pile on the floor beside the table. He almost laughed in relief. In the back of his mind he was annoyed that of all nights tonight he had knocked the pile off in his sleep but at the moment he was too happy to be safe, to be alive to care. He sighed out a deep breath and leaned over to retrieve the gun. Cold arms snaked around his stomach and his heart stopped. A soft, cold breath drifted past his ear.

_“I̵̢I ͠am͜ s͠o̶ ͜ha͏ppy that҉ ̵yòu͠ are ͡m͡i̡n͢e.”_

 


End file.
